It looks like the Utah Jazz have inked a fresh deal for their returning big man.

According to multiple reports, the Jazz have agreed to terms on a two-way contract with Micah Potter, locking him in for the 2024-25 season. Potter has spent the past two seasons in Utah on a two-way deal spending time in both the NBA and the G-League, and now looks to make it a third next year.

A two-way deal gives the Jazz flexibility to transition Potter from the G-League to their main roster for a portion of the season, also having an opportunity to sign him to a traditional contract if he shows out.

During Potter’s 23 games played with the Jazz, he’s averaged 3.3 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 0.4 points on 52.7/46.4/75.0 shooting splits. He’s a 6-foot-10 big with a strong ability on the offensive end, standing out as an efficient floor spacer during his limited reps.

This offseason, Potter has also spent time with the Team USA Men’s Select Team, a group that practiced alongside this year’s national Team USA squad during training camp before the 2024 Olympics.

If Potter finds his way back to the Salt Lake City Stars next season, expect him to have another year with a big impact. He was a top contributor during their 2023-24 campaign where he averaged 15.5 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks a game, and should be on track to replicate that as long as the Jazz opt not to call him up.

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A Utah state representative is challenging Gov. Spencer Cox (R-UT) in the state’s Supreme Court after losing his primary race to the Republican governor. 

Republican Phil Lyman filed a lawsuit requesting the state’s highest court to “annul the June 25, 2024, primary election” and rename himself as the Utah Republican Party nominee for governor.

During the Utah Republican Party Nominating Convention in April, Lyman secured more than 60% of the delegate vote, earning him a spot on the GOP’s gubernatorial primary ballot. 

Cox also met the state’s qualifications to appear on the primary ballot, albeit through a different process. There are several pathways for a candidate to put their name on the ballot in Utah, according to state law SB54.

Both a party caucus, which was the route Lyman took, and a signature gathering initiative, which Cox selected, are viable options for candidates to gain access to primary ballots. The incumbent governor collected the necessary 28,000 signatures from registered Republicans, legally assuring him a place on the ballot. 

The two Republicans went on to duel during the primary election, where Lyman suffered a crushing defeat to Cox. In June, the governor handily won the election 58% to 42%.

More than a month later, Lyman’s challenge to the election results alleges the Utah Republican Party’s “internal process” should have enabled him to skip the primary election, due to his strong performance during the nominating convention. His lawsuit requests the court to designate all candidates who received 60% of the party’s caucus vote as the nominee on the general election ballot.

“Although SB54 created two paths to the Primary election, it did not change the internal procedures of the party that if a single candidate achieves over 60% of the caucus vote, that candidate is certified to the state for placement on the general election ballot, and no primary is held for that office,” wrote Lyman.

Other Republicans in the western state disagree with their colleague’s assessment that internal party rules take precedence over state law. 

State Sen. Todd Weiler and Utah GOP Chairman Rob Axson told Deseret News they believe party documents have less power than state authority. 

“The Republican Party last fall told the Utah elections office, ‘We’re going to participate in the 2024 election as a QPP, qualified political party,’ which means we’ll accept signature candidates and convention candidates,” Weiler said.

Meanwhile, Axson said that unless there is a court decision to the contrary, “The rules, the bylaws, the Constitution, the foundational documents of that organization, practice and even just out of habit or tradition, all of those things are superseded by state law, which itself is superseded by federal law.”

In response to the representative’s actions, the Cox campaign argued that Lyman’s “dangerous” lawsuit undermined the democratic electoral process. 

“Rep. Lyman’s attempt to undo a democratic election rather than honor the will of the people is not just sad, but dangerous,” Matt Lusty, a Cox campaign spokesman, said.

“It’s the kind of action you see in a banana republic and not the United States of America,” Lusty said. “Half the candidates in the primary election lost. In our proud American tradition, almost all of them did so with grace and poise. We encourage Mr. Lyman and his camp to do the same.”

Lyman pushed back against criticism in a social media post announcing the lawsuit on Friday.

“Spencer Cox and Deidre Henderson knowingly and unconstitutionally forced multiple Republican convention winners to go to an illegitimate primary, a most severe form of election fraud that harmed not only the candidates via the substantial money spent, but also harmed Utah Republican voters who were mislead to believe this fake primary was a part of the nomination process,” Lyman said in a post to X. 

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He added that “he is not at odds with the party and does not want this action to be seen as unfriendly toward the Utah GOP.”

The Washington Examiner reached out to the Lyman and Cox campaigns for comment. 

A fourth suspect in a deadly shooting at a South San Jose apartment complex in May was arrested this past week in Utah, authorities said.

San Jose police confirmed reports that Leimaunaloa Aholelei was arrested Wednesday in Vineyard, Utah by the U.S. Marshals Service and local police. Vineyard is located northwest of Provo, about 40 miles south of Salt Lake City.

Aholelei was the subject of an arrest warrant obtained by the San Jose Police Department related to the fatal May 26 shooting of 21-year-old Jonathan Isaac Oliva Rodriguez on Blossom River Way, near the Westfield Oakridge shopping center.

Three other men were arrested July 16 in connection with the shooting: Nuuvali Lafo, 19, of San Jose; Isaac Noa, 24, of Los Banos; and Jason Vaavaai, 25, of Los Banos.

San Jose police have not fully detailed the circumstances of the shooting, which was the 15th homicide investigated by the department this year. But the U.S. Marshals Service reported that the killing was preceded by several people carrying out a home invasion and shooting the victim.

Marshals were acting on information developed in the SJPD investigation, authorities said, and they had to force their way into a Vineyard apartment to detain Aholelei, who eventually surrendered.

It was unclear when Aholelei would be extradited to the Bay Area; jail records show he was not in Santa Clara County custody as of Friday afternoon.

Anyone with information for San Jose homicide investigators can call 408-277-5283 or email Detective Sgt. Julien Taylor at 4257@sanjoseca.gov or Detective Mike Harrington at 4365@sanjoseca.gov. Tips can also be left with Silicon Valley Crime Stoppers at 408-947-7867 or at siliconvalleycrimestoppers.org.

Originally Published: August 2, 2024 at 4:35 p.m.